THE SENATE	S.B. NO.	978
THIRTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2023
STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

 

RELATING TO FIREARMS.

 

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 

     SECTION 1.  The legislature finds that Hawai‘i has some of the strongest gun safety laws in the nation, and in 2021 Hawai‘i received an A-minus rating from the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence.  Additionally, Hawai‘i had the lowest number of gun deaths per capita among the states in 2020, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  The legislature is committed to protecting the safety and well-being of its citizens.  The fact that Hawai‘i still allows any firearm or rifle with the capacity to fire ammunition of fifty caliber or higher is inconsistent with this commitment.

     The purpose of this Act is to prohibit any firearm or rifle with the capacity to fire ammunition of fifty caliber or higher.

     SECTION 2.  Section 134-8, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsection (a) to read as follows:

     "(a)  The manufacture, possession, sale, barter, trade, gift, transfer, or acquisition of any of the following is prohibited:  assault pistols, except as provided by section 134‑4(e); automatic firearms; rifles with barrel lengths less than sixteen inches; shotguns with barrel lengths less than eighteen inches; any firearm or rifle with the capacity to fire ammunition of fifty caliber or higher; cannons; mufflers, silencers, or devices for deadening or muffling the sound of discharged firearms; hand grenades, dynamite, blasting caps, bombs, or bombshells, or other explosives; or any type of ammunition or any projectile component thereof coated with [teflon] Teflon or any other similar coating designed primarily to enhance its capability to penetrate metal or pierce protective armor; and any type of ammunition or any projectile component thereof designed or intended to explode or segment upon impact with its target.

     For purposes of this subsection:

     "Firearm or rifle with the capacity to fire ammunition of fifty caliber of higher" does not include antique pistols, antique revolvers, or muzzleloaders.

     "Muzzleloaders" means any rifle, pistol, or shotgun that loads from the muzzle, or the open end of a weapon, from which the ammunition is discharged."

     SECTION 3.  Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken.  New statutory material is underscored.

     SECTION 4.  This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

 

INTRODUCED BY:	_____________________________

 

 

Report Title:

Firearms; Gun Safety; High Caliber Guns

 

Description:

Includes any firearm or rifle with the capacity to fire ammunition of fifty caliber or higher, excluding antique pistols and revolvers, and muzzleloaders in the list of prohibited weapons.

 

 

 

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